Page 48 of Vivacity

‘Well, I’d better get him.’ She gestures awkwardly at the door to the hallway. ‘I’d like to get as much of the day with him as possible.’

Something softens in my heart—Jamie’s mother rushed back from an overseas trip on the first possible train so she could spend the weekend with her son. I’m just so damn happy to know he has one parent who can’t get enough of him.

Before Elena can go off in search of him, there’s a thunderous disturbance on the stairs on the scale of someone ripping out a bathroom and chucking its contents down the stairs.

‘Don’t run!’ Ethan roars in a Dad voice.

Jamie enters the room at a fair clip, slowing down as soon as he sees the three of us and doing his best to look cool as he shuffles across the kitchen. He’s in a dark green hoodie—hood up—and black scuffed jeans. He goes straight to his mum and folds her into a hug, dwarfing her entirely. She clings on to him tightly.

‘Hi, my gorgeous boy. Oh my goodness, such a good hug. You ready to go?’

‘Sure,’ he mumbles against her. I risk a glance at Ethan. He’s watching them with what looks like a stricken expression. I wonder if seeing Jamie’s easy affection with his mother reminds him of how lacking his relationship with his son seems to be.

‘Excellent.’ Elena releases him. ‘Do you have all your stuff? iPad? Phone? Chargers?’

He looks down at his feet. ‘Yeah. Think so.’

‘Sketch pad? You can’t forget that. I can’t wait to see what you’ve been working on.’

He smiles, bashful. He’s such a sweetheart. ‘Got it.’

‘Great. Say goodbye to your father, then.’

‘Bye, Dad,’ Jamie mutters, making no attempt to go to Ethan.

‘See you soon, mate.’ Ethan steps forward and gives him an awkward slap on the upper arm. ‘Have a good weekend, yeah?’

‘It was so nice to meet you, Sophia,’ Elena says.

‘You too!’ I say brightly. ‘Have a great weekend, Jamie.’

‘Bye,’ he manages.

‘I’ll walk you out,’ Ethan says stiffly. Boy, this is all very awkward. My inner Seven wants to run for the hills… or straight to Bond Street at least, to drown out all this Kingsley dysfunction in some good old hedonism. Thank god I have Alchemy tonight. I’ll need it after this house and its master have finished sucking the very soul out of me.

‘Honey, why don’t you go wait in the car?’ I hear Elena say from the hallway. ‘I want to talk to your father for a sec.’

There is no way I’m not listening to this. I tiptoe over to the kitchen table, which is nearer to the hallway and is where I’ve left my handbag. If Ethan comes back in, I can pretend to be looking for my lip balm.

The front door opens, and Jamie presumably leaves.

‘What’s this about?’ Ethan asks. I know that tone: feigned disinterest.

‘I called him last night to say goodnight and he said he’d barely seen you!’ Elena hisses. ‘He said he had dinner alone in his room.’

‘I have the biggest transaction of my career going on, for fuck’s sake. I had him as a favour to you—doesn’t mean I could drop everything to hang out with him. He knows I’ve got a lot on.’

‘Jesus Christ. Can you hear yourself? He’s your son! It shouldn’t feel like a favour, but honestly, it does. He doesn’t think you want him here. What do you have to say to that? Why the hell can’t you make him feel welcome in his own home?’

‘Of course I want him here. I’m just distracted. I’ll do better when all this is over.’

‘You’d better bloody do better. I could strangle that fucking father of yours for fucking you up so royally. Jamie will be withdrawn for the rest of the day now, you know? But don’t worry, I’ll pick up the pieces like I always do.’

The door slams.

Holy fucking shit. That was horrific. I honestly feel heartbroken for all three of them: for poor Jamie, who thinks his dad doesn’t actually want to be with him; for Elena, doing her best to get Jamie through all the Kingsley trauma from which she’s basically rescued him, and for Ethan, my controlling, gorgeous, avoidantly attached boss who fucks up everyone he touches.

Jesus. I wouldn’t have expected Elena to deliver F-bombs with such aplomb, but she seriously read him the riot act, and I have to admire it. I suspect she won’t be the only one picking up the pieces. Ethan won’t be a happy bunnyat allafter that.